November 2025

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Holiday deal or trap? How to spot the scam

The holiday season is prime hunting ground for scammers. Follow this guide to help identify and avoid common online holiday shopping swindles. 

Protect yourself from identity theft

Follow these tips to help prevent criminals from stealing your personal information.

Our Latest Webinar

Explore a new topic each month in our consumer financial education webinars and attend in-person community events in your local region.

Securing Your Legacy with Estate Planning

Dec. 3: 12 - 1 p.m.

Regardless of your age, planning for the future is more than just financial security. It's about ensuring that your wishes are honored and your loved ones are protected. Learn about wills, trusts, probate, beneficiaries, tax considerations, power of attorneys, and more.

Events

Dec. 4: Protect Yourself from Fraud Webinar w/ Asm. Cottie Petrie-Norris (AD73) | Virtual
Dec. 6: Holiday Veteran Resource Fair | San Luis Obispo 
Dec. 11: Stay Safe, Stay Smart Fraud Prevention Workshop | Virtual

DFPI News & Updates

CalHFA Homebuyers Assistance Program – Thinking about buying your first home in California as a first-generation buyer? The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) will be reopening its California Dream for All down payment assistance program in early 2026.

Consumer Alerts & Enforcement Actions

Legal action against Apoyo Financiero – We ordered Apoyo Financiero, Inc. to pay a hefty $1 million penalty for illegally overcharging customers. Additionally, the Concord-based company will pay back more than $218K to customers and stop collecting charges above the legal limit. The company claims on its website to market its services to the underbanked community in the San Francisco Bay Area. Este artículo también está disponible en español.

Fake websites impersonating California-licensed escrow company – We posted a Consumer Alert concerning four websites falsely representing themselves as All Points Escrow Inc., a California-licensed escrow company.

Imposter website posing as a California-licensed investment adviser – We posted a Consumer Alert concerning a copycat website that is fraudulently marketing itself as being affiliated with Lisa M. Roth, a California-licensed investment adviser.

The Federal Trade Commission has reported that bank impersonators are among the most commonly reported scams in the U.S. It often involves someone posing as a representative from a bank or financial institution. The Commission says a typical consumer who falls for this scam loses about $3,000, plus they are at risk for identity theft. Before making a transaction, verify that you are doing business with a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured bank. For more tips on how to identify and protect your money, check out Bank Impersonation Scams and Fake Banks from the FDIC.